Combination folding orthopedic and reclining bedboard



Aug. 17, 1945. V F R. MUENZEN 0 cbMaINATIoN FOLDING ORTHOPEDIC AND RECLINI'NG- BED BOARD Filed Dec. 2a, 1943 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 W 77% INVENTOR' Fran/Z'RMqenzen BY j 4 ATTORNEYS Aug. 7, 1945. F. R. MUENZEN 2,331,509

COMBINATION FOLDING ORTHOPEDIC AND RECLINING BED BOARD lie "1a 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 ATTORNEYS .a.t en ted Aug. 7, 1945 i The. oTnventiom lat szs n m t b oats s;; and lhaspart cuh ati n to. a t o1; apparatusthat issuitable; se in connect eds';such--as'are found vention iswpartic larly ;useful for hfclisabilityowhichgmake tit-highly de sirable that there be the minimum flexingx of theaafiected partsywhile the}. patientis il'l'3b6d,

Frank-R; Muen ze n,

8 Claims.

4 A 23 i Y 3icommiiistemmemescm efine efip v n I a New Rochelle, N. Y;] I g i- Anniae n mbe 2 Hashim515 908 r te 11 tion of the a paratus-, zwhich result simplicity,

aving jointqailments, fractures; or-other It s also} useful; for; persons not soaffected, as y many; people find; sit 1: impossible to obtain the ultimate; benefitsyfrom sleeping in a bed which is overly; softer {has highly resilient; oripoor .or saggygspringst it is :also; useful for persons; :who

wish'storrhave the'tmattres's elevated;at,;.the-head.

end for ,-read ing,=c'eating; ;or';sleeping in; an in-@ clinedposition]:v 3;: o V

l With the present, invention, the "conventional bed -havingi either;;too :softua mattress; DIV-PO01,-

saggy springs, mayhave; this vcharacteristic .neu-' tralized and a stiffer 1or. smoother support pro-' yi g imai c shown-,1 r r e parent from the following-description wherein a pref rred em edin r ft e-i nt on 11 numeralsr lindicate;like parts, in which;

Z Fig: lris a sideelevational viewoi a combinabed-boardembodye I Qfythe '-invention,-@- the same being: shown mount edgbetween the springs and tion- Y orthopediciandreclining ing the principles mattressi'ofva conventional bed, ,with a patient liningpositionlthereonp '--:Fig.-2 ;topjplan;view"on a-largenscale, of the bedboardshowna-inFig.1; a

, Fig.: 3 is: a: bottomv plan: v ew on a similar; scale, i of-the bediboard-shown in Fig. 2;- r-

Fig; 4:318:21 longitudinal--sectional :v-iew of the bed'sbloardshown-in Fig; 13,: the same having been takenvialong athe: line 4- 4 thereof looking 'in the direction of'ztheiarrows;

t-videdw-iIt also permitsatheahead portion? to :be-

raisedz to a suitable angle or lowered'to a level position by one in bed andiby'a'simple and easy; op ration; H"

An object ofthe present invention iszto pro- :1 Fig. 5iisiianother longitudinal sectional View of the 'be'd' board shownin-Fig. 4; showing the samein itszhormal televatedposition; .1 -'=lFig.i-z 6, is ca longitudinal sectional view of; the bEGZibOSAZd'JShOWlI inlF'ig; 3', the same ha-ving :been takenialong the iline ii-e5 thereof; and-illustratingl'the'rsarnezina its :normal elevated position;

. iFigi 'isaissla perspective-view of the -bed-vboard shown" in? Fig:- '1; illustrating the manner in which it i's foldable intoilaicompact unit for shipment or*stora'ge';vrand?' r;

Fig.- 8 is an edge view of-a ,form in=whi'ch the mainise'ction is flexible rather than stiff :a In theti formi'showninFigs'c'l to '7, the apparatus'iricmds a horizontal f-ora flatl body section H andfa vertically movablehead section ;l2,:havc

- int; 'a ifoldablesupporting section l3 mounted on 1 40 theinventionyis to ;pro-

videwa bedboard thathas a reclining-or headsection thatmay beraised toan-inclinedposL' tion, and a; supporting gunit that automatically swings into proper position .under said section when theflatter is simply raised above: the sur face of-the bed upon whichitgrestsl Anotherq-feature o visio oi a -foldable' bed :board that may readily be :changed; from sanv nclined "position ito a flat orv horizontalposition, or viceversayby the p-a-' tient I or other bed occupant EWhile remaining in the bed, withgpractically little vor'no effort. I

l Other and further objects 1 andadvantages :.of the, invention reside. in the detailed construcf-the' ginventioniis' the-5m i v V r Various section's'oi the bo'ard may becoveredwiththe paper M'having an its underside intermediate fits ends-and provided with afoldablefb'ase section 15': v Each of? the par-ts maybe constructedsof. anynsuitable fiat sheet'likelmaterial such asyfor example, metal;

plastic; plywood or compressed paper fibre'yboard. In the interest of economyscand lightness and splintring, "it is? preferable to;. .use compressed paper fibre board which" is light in Weight; thin, strong and durable,' andkiobvia'tes various, disadvantages of-1 the other substances; When the imitation" of grained natural wood, and will last a lifetime' under normal wear. and ,care. 1" ,The' ltwo. sections H and J2 'mayjhave a'width approximately'thewidthzof a single, bed, and-the two-sectionsztogether may have aalengthr approxibeing ;;had t0 the acoomp anying drawings; forming a -;part hereof wherein-like are assembled; they mately the lengthof the bed, but preferably a few inches shorter. Each of these sections is rectangular in shape and they are so connected as to permit relative swinging movement. The

connecting means may be of any desirable type such, for example. as spaced pairs of woven fabric or tapes I6. Each tape of each pair is fastened adhesively or otherwise to one side of one section and to theopposite side of the other section. as indicated at I! and I8, and each tape ofeach pair is mounted oppositely from the other as best shown in Fig. 5.

l The section I2, which is referred to as a head a section, serves when in raised position, to support not merely the head of the occupant of the bed but also the weight of all or a major portion of the torso, and therefore, this head section may be made of thicker or stronger material, but pref- While the apparatus may be used in varied ways, with or without a conventional bed, it is primarily designed to be used. in connection with a conventional bed. It is, of course, obvious that the size of the board will depend primarily upon the size of the bed with which it is intended to be used. In Fig. 1, the bed board is illustrated in use in conjunction with a conventional bed having a boxed spring 4| and amattress 42, and it will be noted 'that the same is intended to be positioned directly between the spring and mattress. Should the patient or user desire to raise the board to a reclining position, it is only necessary toremove-his weight from the head section I2 and lift the outer end thereof. As the section I2 is raised, the supporting unit will gravitate into its supporting position, as shown in Figs. 1,

erably it is of the same character as the sections I 3 and I5 and is provided with a reinforcing panel 24 extending across the width of the underside of the section I2 and along themajor portion of the length of thelatter.

The supporting unit for the head section I2 includes the supporting section I3 and the base I5; the former having one edge secured to the underside of the section I2 intermediate of its ends; .The securing means permits swinging of the section l3 and preferably includes tapes 23 which may extend through spaced slits22 to form a loop with the free ends thereotcrisse I crossed so that they extend in opposite directions and project through slits '26 in'the panel 24. These ends may be fastened securely in any suitable manner as by adhesive in the space between the underside of the section I2 and the upper side of the panel 24. The vertical member I3 is similarly hinged to the'base member I-5. As shown, it has slits 21 through which extend tapes 29, the free ends'of which are passed through the corresponding slits 28 in the base member I5 and then criss-crossed and securely fixed, either by a, suitable adhesive or other desirable means to the underside of the base member.

Any suitable means maybe provided for preventing the section H from slipping or creeping on its supporting surfaces. Thisis shown. as pads 3| of rubber or other suitable non-sliding material, mounted on the under surface of'the section II, preferably adjacent the end connected to the swingable section I2. Similar means 32 are mounted inspaced relation on the underside of the base member I5.

Means are provided whereby the verticalmember I3 is prevented from swinging in ,one

direction past the vertical position. This isshown as a tape 30 secured to the upper end of'the section I2 by extending through a slit 33 and to '.the base I5 by extending through a slit 36 (Fig.

6). To permit the occupant of the bed to easily pull the supporting unit from beneath the section I2 and permit lowering of the latter, there is provided a pull or draw strap 34, one end of which is securely. fastened or anchored to the base section. This tape may, if desired, be an extension of the tape 30 or it may merely have one end extended through an aperture 36 in the base 2|, and glued in place, or it may be secured by a tack 31, to the underside of the base. The remaining portion of the tape 34 is leftfree, and is of a length suificient to extend up and over the head of the reclining member I2 and down over the board sufiiciently far to be conveniently within reach ofthe patient. The free end of thetape 34 maybe looped, asindicated atv 38, if de.- sired.

the underside of the section I2, and the base I5 to fold against the underside of the section I3, as shown in Fig. 4. I

, The drawings, for purposes of illustration, show the fibre board to be relatively thick, but actually it need be only "A to of a inch in thickness and about 30 inches widefor an ordinary single bed. Thus,'the overlapping layers of the supporting unit under the reclining section does not hold up the head endof the conventional mattress to any noticeable degree.

Although ,I'have described in detail only one embodiment of the invention,i'it will be apparent to: those skilled in: the art'that the invention is not" so. limited, but" that various modifications maybe made therein without departing from the spirit thereof or from thek'scope'of the appended claims; For instance, the horizontal section I -I ne'ednot beof stiff material butmay be of flexible cloth II a, glued or riveted to the edge of head section I2, as shown in Fig. 8; In this case, itdoes not form a stiff support for the mattress, but serves merely as an adequate anchorage for the lower end of the swingable section I2 and prevents the latter frombeing crowded toward the head end of the bed bypressure thereon when in raised inclined position, as is the case also with the form shown in Figs. 2 to 7. The connection betweenv thesections II a and I2 will serve as a hinge permitting the raising and lowering of the section I2. hinges may be employed, of tape instead ofmetal, avoided. The reinforcing section maybe omitted if the section I2 be of the required stifiness and strength. Other connections of the releasbut bymaking them liability of: rusting is ing tape 34 may beprovided.

ber pivotally connected along its upper edge to the underside of said reclining section and hav- Various other types of bed board comprising two stiff stiff board and a hinged intermediate of its edges I edge of said position when said reclining section is raised to its normal sitting position,

2. As a new artcle of manufacture, a folding bed board adapted for insertionbetween the springs and mattress of a bed and comprising a. main section and a second section hinged together, said second section having a supporting unit hinged thereto on its underside intermediate its ends and including a vertical member connected pivotally along its upper edge to said reclining section and a base member connected pivotally to its being adapted to swing automatically into supporting position when said second section is raised, friction means mounted on the underside of the main section for frictionally. engaging a supporting, surface, and friction means mounted on the underside of said base member for engaging said supporting surface.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a folding board sections hinged together, one of said sections having a supporting unit mounted on its underside intermediate its ends, said unit consisting of a board I member pivotally connected along its upper edge to said last mentioned section and a base member pivotally connected to the lower edge of the other member of said unit, said supporting unit being adapted to swing automatically into elevating position when said reclining section is raised, meansmountedon the underside of said horizontal section for ,frictionally engaging a supporting surface, and means attached to said base for moving the latter over a supporting surface and causing the supporting unit to fold against. the underside of the connected one of the first mentioned sections. 4. A folding bed board comprising a main second stiff board hinged together, a stiff board having one edge hinged to the underside of the second board intermediate of the edges of the latter, and a base board to the other edge of said third board, whereby uponlifting saidsecond board, to swing automatically into vertical position and rest onsaid base board.

Afolding bed board comprising a main stiff board and a second stiff board hinged together, a stiff board. having one edge hinged to the undersideof the second board intermediateof the edges of the latter, and a base board hinged intermediate of its edges to the other lower edge, said supporting unit third board, whereby upon lifting said second to swing automatically into vertical position and rest on said base board, and flexible means contermediate of its edges nected to said base board and having a free end to be grasped manually for moving said base board horizontally and causing it and said third board to fold flat against the underside of said second board.

6. A folding bed board comprising a main stiff board and a second stiff board hinged together, a stiff board having one edge hinged to the underside of the second board intermediate of the edges of the latter, and a base board hinged into the other edge of said third board, whereby upon lifting said second to swing automatically into vertical position and rest on said base board, and flexible means for limiting the swinging movement of said third board in one direction past a substantially vertical position.

comprising a main soft v. A folding bed board flexible section and a stiff board hinged tosaid thirdboard is adapted gether, a stiff board having one edge hinged to the underside of said board intermediate of theedges' of the latter, and a base board hinged intermediate of its edges to the other edge of said second board, whereby upon lifting said first board, said second board is adapted to swing automatically into vertical position and rest on said base board, and flexible means for limiting the swinging movement of said second board in one direction past a substantially vertical position.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a folding bed board adapted for insertion between the springs and mattress of a bed and having a main horizontal section and a reclining stiff board section hinged together end to end so as to lie in the same plane with the horizontal section extending toward the foot of the bed, and the reclining section extending toward the head of the bed, the reclining section having a supporting unit comprising a stiff board section of substantially the same width as the first mentioned board sections, and pivotally secured to the underside of the reclining section intermediate of the ends of the latter, said unit being adapted to swing tially vertical position when said reclining section is raised, and a; flexible member secured to the lower part of said supporting unit and adapted to extend over the upper end of the reclining section for pulling the lower end of said supporting unit away from said main section.

. FRANK R; MUENZEN.

board, said third board is adapted automatically into substan- 

